Michael Hewitt – Fremington

March 2018

Paedophile Jehovah’s Witness jailed for 15 years

A man who took advantage of his position of trust in a Surrey branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses and sexually abused three young girls has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment

Michael John Hewitt, 71 and now of Fremington in Devon, was found guilty of eight counts of indecency with children who were all aged under 16 years at the time.

He will be on the sex offenders register for life and have a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Restraining Order served.

The court heard that in the 1980s Hewitt, who previously lived in Wallington, was a member of the Jehovah’s Witness Congregation and abused his victims over several decades.

Two of Hewitt’s victims were as young as five when the abuse started. He sexually abused all three of them in his and their home addresses, undetected by family members.

He later sold his home in Surrey and moved to Devon.

On January 11, 2016, two of the victims reported what had happened to a family member, who then contacted police. Hewitt was later arrested in January 2016 and bailed pending further enquiries.

Following extensive research by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, the third victim was identified and came forward when told Hewitt was under investigation for two similar offences.

In May 2017, Hewitt was charged with eleven counts of indecency with three girls under 16 years old. He was later acquitted of three offences.

Whilst sentencing Judge Flahive described Hewitt as a significant risk to young children and a dangerous offender.